DC Comics was created by Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, who founded the original company National Allied Publications in 1934. He was a pioneer in the comic book industry, launching the first comic book with entirely original material rather than reprints. In 1937, Wheeler-Nicholson partnered with Harry Donenfeld and Jack Liebowitz, and together they formed Detective Comics, Inc., which later became the foundation of DC Comics. The company introduced iconic characters like Superman (created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster) and Batman, becoming one of the largest and most influential comic book publishers in the world.